Mary M. O’gara MA, CCC-SLP

Mary M. O’Gara, MA, CCC-SLP, is a nationally known lecturer and instructor, and director of the cleft lip and palate and plastic surgery services at Shriners Hospitals for Children — Chicago. Ms. O’Gara is a licensed speech-language pathologist and board certified by the American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA). In 2019 she was named an ASHA Fellow, the first in the Shriners Hospitals for Children health care system, acknowledging her many contributions to the field.

She is an associate professor at Northwestern University Medical School Department of Plastic Surgery. She serves as a graduate instructor in the Northwestern University Speech Language Pathology master’s program, teaching about craniofacial anomalies, including cleft palate. O’Gara is the off-campus supervisor for clinicians in the NU Speech and Language master’s program.

O’Gara is a member of the American Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association, where she served on various national boards for more than 35 years. She is also a member of the American Speech Language Hearing Association. O’Gara is a past president of the Illinois Association of Craniofacial Teams and was recognized by the organization for “years of service provided in the state of Illinois to improve the quality of lives of children born with craniofacial differences.”